
5 




.Wl^BP 




THE 



VIRGINIA, OR MERRIMAC; 



HER REAL PROJECTOR. 




A STATEMENT 

OF THE FACTS CONNECTED WITH HER CONVERSION 
INTO AN IRON-CLAD, ' 

\ 

\ 

BY ! 

JOHN NI. BROOKE, 

Laie Commander, C. S. Navy. 



REPRINTED FROM THE SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS, VOLUME XIX. 



RICHMOND, VA.: 

WM. ELLIS JONES, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER. 
189I. 



i f 

THE 



VIRGINIA, OR MERRIMAC; 



HER REAL PROJECTOR. 



A STATEMENT 

OF THEiFACTS CONNECTED WITH HER CONVERSION 
INTO AN IRON-CLAD, 



JOHN Nl. BROOKK, 

Late Lieutenant C. S. Navy. 



REPRINTED FROM THE SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS, VOLUME XIX. 



RICHMOND, VA. : 

WM. ELLIS JONES, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER. 
189I, 



iJ 









mmmiiiiji. 



■v:'«js»a»t»3«aiL;i>F ; 



/ 



u 



THE 



Virginia, OR Merrimac 

HKR REAL Projector. 



In the Richmond Dispatch of March 29th appeared an article, 
written by Mr J. W. H. Porter, under the supervision of Constructor 
John L. Porter, purporting^ to be a "correct version of the converting 
of the Merrimac into an iron-clad." Mr Porter says : 

" In your issue of Sunday last, in the communication of Mr. Vir- 
ginius Newton, headed 'The Merrimac' s Mqw' , there appears the 
following : 

"'Upon this hulk, according to plans furnished by Lieutenant 
John M. Brooke, of the Confederate States Navy (though the merit 
of the design is also claimed for Naval Constructor John L. Porter}, 
was built a house or shield,' &c. 

" This does a grave injustice to a gallant old Confederate and Vir- 
ginian, who sacrificed his all upon the altar of his country; and had 
Mr. Newton known fully the facts it is believed that he would have 
published his article with the names above reversed." 

The following dispassionate statement of Colonel Brooke of the 
facts connected with the conversion of the Merrimac is conclusive: 

In October, 1887, I was requested by the editor of the Century to 
prepare a note stating what my relations were to the construction of 
the Merrimac. This note, containing the only public reference to 
Mr. Porter or his claim that I have ever made, will be found in Battles 
and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol. I, p. 715; and on the following 
page a similar note by Constructor John L. Porter as to his relations. 
To these notes the attention of the reader is invited. But as the 



4 The Real Projectir of the Virginia. 

book is not always accessible, and such versions of occurrences of 
the war as this of Mr. Porter sometimes find their way into crude 
histories of the day, I deem it proper to present the subject from 
another point of view, with evidence. 

Early in June, 1861, Mr. Mallory, Secretary of the Confederate 
States Navy, asked me to design an iron-clad. 

The first idea presenting itself was a shield of timber two feet 
thick, plated with three inches of iron, inclined to the horizontal plane at 
the least angle that would permit working the guns. This shield to 
be supported by a hull of equal length. But it was apparent, on in- 
spection, that to support the massive shield the ends of the vessel 
would be so full and bluff" as to prevent the attainment of speed. It 
then occurred to me that fineness of line, buoyancy, and protection 
of hull could be obtained by extending the ends of the vessel under 
water beyond the shield. To prevent the banking up of water on 
these submerged ends I erected upon them a superstructure of ship- 
iron, corresponding in form with the hull below, but not higher than 
would permit the free use of bow and stern guns; these superstruc- 
tures to be decked. 

Of this design I submitted outline drawings — body, sheer, and 
deck-plans — to Mr. Mallory, who approved and adopted them. I then 
asked that Chief Engineer Williamson and Constructor Porter should 
be sent for from the Norfolk navy-yard to put the plan in execution. 
This the Secretary declined doing, but ordered a practical mechanic 
to be sent up from the Norfolk yard. The mechanic came, aided in 
thestatementof timber, etc., but was unable to make the working draw- 
ings, and was permitted to return to the yard. Constructor Porter and 
Chief Engineer Williamson were then ordered to report. They 
came, and we met in consultation with the Secretary. Mr. Porter 
brought and presented for consideration a model of an iron-clad of 
the same form as that which I had rejected for reasons above stated. 

When we had examined the model, the Secretary said he wished 
to show Messrs. Porter and Williamson a plan proposed by Lieu- 
tenant Brooke. The plan was then placed before them, and the 
reasons for extending the ends of the hull beyond the shield and under 
water were stated, and they approved the plan. It had been, as stated 
above, previously adopted by the Department. 

Mr. Mallory then directed Messrs. Williamson and Porter to as- 
certain if suitable engines and boilers could be had. To me he said: 
" Make a clean drawing in ink of your plan, to be filed in the depart- 
ment." As I placed the paper on the table and was about to begin, 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 5 

Mr. Porter said to me: " You had better let me do that. I am more 
familiar than you are with that sort of work." Accepting his ofifer I 
went with Williamson to the Tredegar Works, where we learned that 
no suitable engines could be had. Williamson then said that the 
engines of the Merrimac could, he thought, be put in working con- 
dition, but that the vessel would necessarily have as great a draught 
as the Merrhnac, and that it would be useless to build a new hull, as the 
lower part of the old one had not been destroyed, and the plan 
could be applied to her. In view of these facts. Constructor Porter, 
who also knew what the condition of the vessel was, agreed with us 
that the plan could be carried out on her. We all thought the draught 
too great, but we could not do better. We reported verbally to the 
Secretary; the subject was discussed, and his opinion coincided with 
ours. He then, in order that a record might be preserved, directed us to 
make a written report in accordance with the results of the dis- 
cussion. 

As the plan proposed by me had been adopted, I thought it but 
proper that I .should leave the wording of the report to Messrs. 
Williamson and Porter. I noticed ihat in designating the plan to be 
adopted the expression used was " the plan submitted for the ap- 
proval of the Department." Which plan was not stated. 

I now pass to a later period. The action in Hampton Roads 
had been fought. Among the gallant officers of the Virginia, whose 
names are now historic, was Lieutenant Robt. D. Minor — a very 
pink of honor. He had been associated with me in ordnance work, 
and was fully informed as to the facts in this matter. From him I 
received the following letter. It has never been published and will, 
I think, be read with interest: 

"Naval Hospital, Norfolk, Va., March ii, 1862. 

"Many thanks, my dear Brooke, for your very kind letter, which 
reached me by to day's mail. 

"You richly deserve the gratitude and thanks of the Confederacy 
for the plan of the now celebrated Virginia, and I only wish that 
you could have been with us to have witnessed the successful opera- 
tions of this new engine of naval warfare, fostered by your care and 
watched over by your inventive mind. 

" It was a great victory, though the odds were nearly seven to one 
against us in guns and in numbers. But the iron and the heavy 
GUNS did the work, handled by such a man as glorious old Buchanan, 



6 The Beol Projector of the Virginia. 

and with such officers and men as we had. The crash into the 
Ciitnberland was terrible in its effect, though hardly felt by us, and 
in thirty minutes after the first gun was fired by us she was at the 
bottom, with the top-sail yards just clear of the water. 

" The Congress gave us her guns as we passed, but though the 
shot fell like hailstones on our roof, we passed on, and settled the 
Cumberlayid in short style. By this time our dear old beauty was 
in shoal water with her head up stream, and ' twas fully twenty 
minutes before we could turn her to fire well and rapidly on the 
Congress — meanwhile receiving the fire of the battery on the Point, 
though I cannot vouch for this exactly, for in such a row ' twas hard 
to say where in thunder all the licks came from. 

" Very soon the Congress ran ashore — purposely, I suppose, 
to save herself from such a fate as the Cumberland — and we had 
not given her many shots before she hauled down the Stars and 
Stripes and soon afterwards hoisted the white flag at her peak. 

"Parker and Alexander, in the Beaufort and Raleigh, were 
ordered to go to her, send her men on shore, bring the officers on 
board, and burn the ship ; but on going alongside, Pendergrast 
(Austin^ surrendered the ship to Parker, and told him that he had 
too many wounded to burn the ship. Billy told him to have the 
wounded removed at once ; and while the Raleigh and Beaufort 
were at this humane work the Yankees on shore opened fire on them, 
killing some of their own men, among them a lieutenant. 

"Parker and Alexander then left her with some twenty or thirty 
prisoners, the fire from shore being too hot; and as Alexander backed 
out in the Raleigh he was fired at from the ports of the Congress, 
though sheTaS^urrendered to us. A dastardly, cowardly act! 
Buchanan not getting Parker's report, and the frigate not being 
burnt, he accepted my volunteered services to burn her; and, taking 
eight men and our only remaining boat, I pulled for her, with 
Webb in the gallant little Teaser steaming up soon afterwards to 
cover me. In the meantime the Patrick Henry, Jamestown, and 
Teazer had come splendidly into action just about the time or a 
little before the Congress struck, and when I left the old beauty they 
were doing grand work with their guns on the Minnesota and 
shore batteries. 

"I did not think the Yankees on shore would fire at me on my 
errand to the Congress, but when in about two hundred and fifty yards 
of her they opened on me from the shore with muskets and artillery; 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 7 

and the way the balls danced around my little boat and crew was 
lively beyond all measure. Soon two of my men were knocked over, 
and, while cheering them on I got a clip through the side which 
keeled me up for a second or two ; but I was soon on board the 
Teaser, Webb having very bravely come to my protection. Old 
Buch., seeing what the scoundrels were doing, made our recall, and 
deliberately backing the Virginia up stream poured gun after gun, 
hot shot and incendiary shells into her stern and quarter, setting her 
on fire; but while doing this he was knocked over by a minnie ball 
through his left thigh, and the medicos laid us together in the 
cabin, while brave, cool, determined old Jones fought the action out 
in his quiet way, giving them thunder all the time. 

"As you supposed, the Minnesota and Roanoke came to the 
assistance of the two sailing frigates, but the former got aground, 
and the latter ran — actually turned tail, and, as the sailors say, 
' pulled foot * for Old Point, The St. Lawrence got a dose and 
cleared out, leaving the Mi^inesota alone in her sad plight, hard and 
fast aground, with some tugs trying to lighten her, and taking the 
fire from our squadron, to which she replied as well as she could, 
generally from her forward pivot gun. She being aground, and 
night coming on, of course Jones could not carry on the fight, and 
after a hard night of it the Commodore and I were landed early on 
Sunday morning at Seawell's Point, and Jones took the ship into 
action that day, fighting her like a bold seaman, as he is. He must 
tell you of his tussle with the Eric, a very devil of an iron bat- 
tery, for he has just come in and said he had a letter from you. God 
bless old Buchanan for a true-hearted patriot and bold, dashing sailor, 
as brave as brave can be; but he exposed himself entirely too much, 
and was struck by a musket or minnie ball while on the upper deck, 
I believe, for I was under the doctor's hands then, and could not be 
with him at the time. I am writing in bed, and by ' fits and starts,' 
so excuse all inaccuracies and want of details, of which I will tell you 
when we meet. 

"Mrs. Minor is with me, and I am decidedly more comfortable, 
though my wound is a severe but not dangerous one. The ball struck 
a rib and glanced, coming out over the heart. It knocked me down 
for a second or so, but I got up and cheered my men, some of whom 
were panic-stricken by the shower of balls, though they rallied when 
I got them to the Teazer. 

" Send the signal book ! When I can be moved the doctors will 



8 The Real Projector' of the Virginia. 

send me to Richmond, where a ' spell ' of a few^weeks will put me on 
my pins again. Make my kind regards to Mrs. Brooke; and with 
the hope that you are in better health, 

" I am ever your friend, 

" R. D. Minor. 

" Remember me to Volcke, to McCorkle, and Upshur. The 
Commodore had the signal ' Sink before Surrender'' arranged before 
the action. Tell this to Mallory, for I hardly think that old Buch. 
will ever do so. 

" N. B. — There will doubtless be an attempt made to transfer the 
great credit of planning the Virginia to other hands than your own. 
So look out for them, for to you it belongs, and the Secretary should 
say so in communicating his report of the victory to Congress. 

" By no means must any captain or commodore or even flag-officer 
be put over Jones. In old Buch.'s sickness from his wound Jones 
must command the ship." 

In justice to Constructor Porter, and in order that his claim and 
the grounds upon which it is based may be fully set forth, his pub- 
lished letters, with their true dates of publication, are now presented, 
with such other matter, arranged in order of sequence, as may be 
necessary to the preservation of historical accuracy and the develop- 
ment of the process by which he arrived at the conclusion that he 
was " not only the constructor but the originator of the plan of the 
Virginia." 

In the Charleston Mercury of March 19, 1862, the following ex- 
tract from a private letter written by Constructor Porter was published: 

" I received but little encouragement from any one while the Vir- 
ginia was progressing. Hundreds, I may say thousands, asserted 
she would never float. Some said she would turn bottom side up ; 
others said the crew would suffocate ; and the most wise said the 
concussion and report from the guns would deafen the men. Some 
said she would not steer ; and public opinion generally about here 
said she would never come out of the dock. You have no idea what 
I have suffered in mind since I commenced her, but I knew what I 
was about, and I persevered. Some of her inboard arrangements 
are of the most intricate character, and have caused me many sleep- 
less nights in making them, but all have turned out right, and thanks 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 9 

are due to a kind Providence whose blessings on my efforts I have 
many times invoked. I must say I was astonished at the success of 
the Virginia. She destroyed the Cumberland \n fifteen minutes, and 
in thirty more the Congress was captured. The Mhuiesota would 
have shared the same fate, but she got aground, and the Virginia 
could not get at her." 

In the Wkig of March 22, appeared the following letter: 

"the VIRGINIA. 

" Richmond, March 18, 1862. 
" To the Editor of the Whig : 

"As the brilliant success of the Virginia has attracted the at- 
tention of all the country, and is destmed to cast much glory on our 
infant navy, it may be of general interest to publish some account of 
the origin of this magnificent ship. 

"On the 23d of June a board consisting of W. P. Williamson, 
chief engineer; John M. Brooke, lieutenant; and John L. Porter, 
naval constructor; met in Richmond by order of the Secretary of 
the Navy to determine a plan for the construction of an iron-clad 
vessel. The Secretary of the Navy was himself present at the meet- 
ing of the board. After full consultation a plan proposed by Lieu- 
tenant John M. Brooke was adopted, and received the full approval 
of the Secretary of the Navy. 

" The plan contemplated the construction of a light-draft vessel, but 
the means at our command being limited, many reasons induced 
them to take the Merriniac and alter her according to the plan adopted. 
Her boilers were good, and her engines only partially destroyed, and 
could be repaired in less time than would be required to construct an 
engine for a new vessel of light draft. It was found that the plan of 
Lieutenant Brooke could easily be applied to the Merrimac, and, in 
fact, no other plan could have made the Merrimac an effective ship. 
Her guns now command every point of the horizon. 

" A report was made up by the above-named officers to the Secre- 
tary of the Navy on the 25th of June, in accordance with these facts, 
and the Secretary ordered the work to commence forthwith. 

" Experiments to determine the mode of applying the armor and 
to fix the dimensions of its parts were conducted by Lieutenant 
Brooke. 

" From the moment that the plan was adopted the Secretary of the 



10 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

Navy urged the work forward with all the means at the command of 
the government and without regard to expense; and from this day to 
the day of the Virginia' s egress from the dock there were from one 
thousand to fifteen hundred men employed on her. 

" The four rifled cannon used so effectively on the Virginia were of 
a plan entirely new, designed by Lieutenant Brooke. 

" Most of the foregoing facts came to my knowledge long before the 
completion of the ship; others I have obtained recently from reliable 
sources. 

" I am a private citizen, wholly unconnected with the Confederate 
or State government, but think that the public ought to know all 
these particulars, which reflect so much credit on the Secretary of 
the Navv and his officers. "Justice." 

''Justice " was in error in using the word " board." As will be seen, 
in the Secretary's report to the House of Representatives of the Con- 
federate States, " The Department ordered Chief Engineer Wil- 
liamson and Constructor Porter from the navy yard at Norfolk to 
Richmond for consultation on the same subject generally [Lieutenant 
Brooke's design, approved by the Department], and to aid in the 
work." 

The Secretary himself took part in the consultations, and directed 
us to put in writing the conclusions arrived at. Had we constituted 
a board it would so have appeared on the face of the report. Con- 
structor Porter adopted the word " board " in his reply to "Justice^' and 
thereafter used it as the best suited to his purpose. 

A reply elicited by this article appeared in the Examiner of 
April 3d: 

" THE VIRGINIA. 

" GospoRT Navy-Yard, March 29, 1862. 

' ' To the Editor of the Examiner : 

"Having seen an article in the Richmond ^w^z^zVrr, and one also 
in the Whig, claiming the plan of the iron-clad ship Virginia for 
Lieutenant John M. Brooke, of the navy, thereby doing myself and 
Engineer Williamson the greatest injustice, I feel called upon to 
make a statement of facts in the case, for the further information of 
the reading public, in the history of this ship. 

"In June last Lieutenant Brooke made an attempt to get up a 
floating battery at the Navy Department. The Secretary sent to 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 11 

this yard for the master ship-carpenter to come up and assist him. 
After trying for a week he failed to produce anything^, and the 
master-carpenter returned to his duties at the yard. Secretary 
Mallory then sent for me to come to Richmond, at which time I 
carried up the model of an iron-clad floating battery, with the shield 
of the present Virgiiiia on it, and before I ever saw Lieutenant 
Brooke. This model may now be seen at the Navy Department. 

" The Secretary then ordered a board, composed of Engineer 
Williamson, Lieutenant Brooke, and myself, to examine and report 
upon some plan for a floating iron-clad battery [consult Secretary's 
Report]. 'Justice,' in his communication to the Whi^, says: 
'After full consultation a plan proposed by Lieutenant John M. 
Brooke was adopted, and received the approval of the Secretary of 
the Navy ; that it was found the plan of Lieutenant Brooke could 
easily be applied to the Merrmtac, and, in fact, no other plan could 
have made the Merrimac an effective ship, and that a report was 
made to the Secretary of the Navy in accordance with these facts.' 

" Now, I would only ask a careful reading of this report, and see 
how far it agrees with the statement of 'Justice.' 

" Now, I would ask what becomes of the statement of 'Justice' ? 
And I would also ask any one at all acquainted with the circumstances 
how Lieutenant Brooke could have had anything to do with this re- 
port further than signing his name to it. What did he know about 
the condition of the Merrimac or her engines, or whether there was 
enough of her left to make a floating battery out of or not ; or any- 
thing about what it would cost, or anything else about her ? For he 
had not even seen her, and knew nothing of her condition really. 

"'Navy Department, Ric/wiond, June 25, 1861. 
'"Sir: 

" ' In obedience to your order, we have carefully examined and 
considered the various plans and propositions for constructing a shot- 
^ proof steam battery, and respectfully report that, in our opinion, the 
steam frigate Merrimac, which is in such condition from the effects 
of fire as to be useless for any other purpose without incurring 
a very heavy expense in her rebuilding, can be made an efficient ves- 
sel of that character, mounting ten heavy guns — two pivot and eight 
side guns of her original battery; and, from the further consideration 
that we cannot procure a suitable engine and boilers for any other 
vessel without building them, which would occupy too much time, it 



12 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

would appear that this is our only chance to get a suitable vessel in 
a short time. 

" ' The bottom of the hull, boilers, and heavy and costly parts of 
the engine being but little injured, reduce the cost of construction to 
about one-third of the amount which would be required to construct 
such a vessel anew. 

" ' We cannot, without further examination, make an accurate es- 
timate of the cost of the proposed work, but think it will be about 
one hundred and ten thousand dollars, the most of which will be for 
labor, the materials being nearly all on hand in the yard, except the 
iron plating to cover the shield. 

" ' The plan to be adopted in the arrangement of the shield for 
glancing shot, mounting guns, arranging the hull and plating to be in 
accordance with the plan submitted for the approval of the Depart- 
ment. 

" ' We are, with much respect, 

" ' Your obedient servants, 

" ' William P. Williamson, Chief Engineer, 
"'John M. Ekooky., Lie2de7ia7ii, 
'"John L. Porter, Naval Constructor.' 

" The concluding part of the report states that the whole arrange- 
ments were to be made in accordance with the plan submitted. 

" The facts are that no plan was submitted with this report. After 
the report was made, I returned immediately to the Norfolk navy 
yard, and made the plans of the Virgmia myself, and, unaided by 
any one, placed the very same shield on her which was on the model 
I carried up with me before this board met. On the nth day 
of July I returned to Richmond with this drawing, and presented 
it to Secretary Mallory, who immediately wrote the following order 
for the work with his own hand and gave it to me: 

[Copy.] 
"'Navy Department, Richmond, Jidy ii, 1862. 

''' Flag-officer Y . Forrest: 

" ' Sir : You will proceed with all practicable dispatch to make the 
changes in the form of the Merrimac, and to buildy equip and jit her 
in all respects according to the design and plans of the cofistructor 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 13 

a?id engmeer, Messrs. Porter and Williamsoji. As time is of the 
first importance in the matter, you will see that the work progresses 
without delay to completion [italics Porter's]. 

" ' S. R. Mallory, 
' ' ' Secretary Confederate States Navy. ' 

" Lieutenant Brooke is not even hinted at in this letter. After the 
ship had been in progress for six weeks the Secretary wrote the 
following letter to Flag-officer Forrest on the subject: 

rCopy.] 

'"Confederate States Navy Department, 

" ' Richmond, Aiegnst ig, 1861. 

" ' Flag officer French Forrest, 

'''Co7Jimanding Navy Yard, Gosport, Va. 

" ' Sir : The great importance of the service expected from the Mer- 
rimac, arid the urgent necessity of her speedy completion, induce me 
to call upon you to push forward the work with the utmost dispatch. 
Chief Engineer Williamson and Constructor Porter, severally in 
charge of the two branches of this great work and for which they 
will be held specially responsible, will receive, therefore, every possi- 
ble facility at the expense and delay of every other work on hand, if 
necessary. 

'"(Signed) S. R. Mallory, 

'''Secretary Confederate States N^avy.' 

" Of the great and skillful calculations of the displacements and 
weights of timber and iron involved in the planning and construction 
of this great piece of naval architecture, and of her present weights 
with everything on board, no other man than myself has, or ever 
had, any knowledge. If he has let him show it; for, while public opinion 
said she would never float, none, save myself, knew to the contrary, or 
what she was capable of bearing. 

"After iht. Merrimac vidA in progress for some time Lieutenant 
Brooke was constantly proposing alterations in her to the Secretary 
of the Navy, and as constantly and firmly opposed by myself, which 
the Secretary knows. To Engineer Williamson, who had the exclu- 
sive control of the machinery, great credit is due for having so im- 
proved the propeller and engines as to improve the speed of the ship 
three knots per hour. 



14 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

" I never thought for a moment that, after the many difficulties I had 
to encounter in making these new and intricate arrangements for the 
working of this novel kind of ship that any one would attempt to 
rob me of my just merits; for, if there was any other man than my- 
self who had any responsibility about her success or failure I never 
knew it, only so far as the working of the machinery was concerned, 
for which Engineer Williamson was alone responsible. 

" I hope these plain statements of facts will satisfy the people of this 
government as to who is entitled to the plan of the Virgiiiia. 

" John L. Porter, 

"C. S. N. Constructor:' 

On the 3d of April, I wrote a private letter to Mr. Porter which, 
so far as I know, has never been published. 

[Copy.] 

"Richmond, April 3, 1862. 
" Dear Sir : 

" I have observed, with surprise and regret, certain articles in the 
newspapers relating to the Virginia and the origin of the plan upon 
which she is constructed. I shall leave to those qualified to judge 
the question of whose plan was adopted ; for the facts are accessible. 
But meanwhile I beg leave to call your attention to one remark of 
your published letter, which is rather obscure. You say: 

"'After the Merrimac was in progress some time, Lieutenant 
Brooke was constantly proposing alterations in her to the Secretary 
of the Navy, and as constantly and firmly opposed by myself, which 
the Secretary knows.' 

"This paragraph conveys the impression that I proposed alterations 
which were opposed and rejected. As the alterations alluded to 
affect very materially the efficiency of the ship, I propose to mention 
them now. 

" The first alteration proposed by me was the substitution of one 
plate of two-inch iron for two of one-inch ; the removal of the ceiling 
or inner planking of the shield, and the application of four inches of 
oak outside under the iron, leaving the wood of the shield of the 
same aggregate thickness; and this alteration was made. I subse- 
quently recommended the substitution of two-inch plates. 

" The third proposition made by me was to pierce the shield for bow 
and quarter ports, for you had omitted them, leaving four points ol 



The Beal Projector of the Virginia. 15 

approach without fire. An accident to the engine, propeller or rudder 
would have placed the ship at the mercy of an antagonist ; and this 
alteration was made. 

" The fourth alteration was the removal of the wheel-ropes — chains — 
from beneath the plates outside, where they were liable to be jammed 
by a shot. Mr. Robert Archer was present when I called your 
attention to this liability. The alteration was not made, however, 
until Lieutenant Jones called your attention to it a second time. 

" The fifth alteration was the making of two additional hatches — 
your plan of detail providing for only two. 

" The sixth suggestion was that arrangements should be made to 
permit the use of small-arms. You were left to your discretion, but 
a plan was given, if you could not think of a better one. You replied 
at length ; the arguments were not considered good, and the altera- 
tion would have been made but for the delay which would have 
attended it. The ship is now deficient in that respect. 

" The sixth proposition was to put six inches of iron on bow and 
stern. Approved by the Secretary but omitted, from your statement 
that the ship would not carry it. 

"John M. Brooke. 
^'Lieutenant, C. S. Navy." 

The faulty arrangement of the wheel-ropes was brought to my 
notice by Lieutenant Jones. A similar arrangement was the im- 
mediate cause of the loss of the iron-clad Tennessee. 

On the 4th of April Secretary Mallory's report to the House of 
Representatives appeared in the Examiner : 

"Confederate States Navy Department, 

"Richmond, March 29, 1862. 

" Ho7i. Thomas S. Bocock, 

'' Speaker of the House of Representatives : 

" Sir : In compliance with the resolution adopted by the House 
of Representatives on the i8th instant, 'That the Secretary of the 
Navy be requested to make a report to this House of the plan and 
construction of the Virgijiia, so far as the same can be properly 
■ communicated, of the reasons for applying the plan to the Merrimac, 
and also what persons have rendered especial aid in designing and 
building the ship,' I have the honor to reply that on the loth day of 
June, 1861, Lieutenant John M, Brooke, Confederates States Navy, 



16 The Beat Projector of the Virginia. 

was directed to aid the Department in desigfning an iron clad war 
vessel and framing the necessary specifications. He entered upon 
this duty at once, and a few days thereafter submitted to the Depart- 
ment, as the result of his investigations, rough drawings of a case- 
mated vessel, with submerged ends and inclined iron-plated sides. 
The ends of the vessel, and the eaves of the casemate, according to 
his plan, were to be submerged two feet; and a light bulwark, or 
false bow, was designed to divide the water and prevent it from bank- 
ing up on the forward part of the shield with the vessel in motion, 
and also to serve as a tank to regulate the ship's draft. His design 
was approved by the department, and a practical mechanic was 
brought from Norfolk to aid in preparing the drawings and specifica- 
tions. This mechanic aided in the statement of details of timber, 
etc., but was unable to make the drawings, and the Department then 
ordered Chief Engineer Williamson and Constructor Porter, from 
the navy yard at Norfolk, to Richmond, about the 23d of June, for 
consultation on the same subject generally, and to aid in the work. 
Constructor Porter brought and submitted the model of a flat-bot- 
tomed, light-draft propeller casemated battery, with inclined iron- 
covered sides and ends, which is deposited in the Department. Mr. 
Porter and Lieutenant Brooke have adopted for their casemate a 
thickness of ivood and iron, ajid an angle of inclination nearly iden- 
tical. Mr. Williamson and Mr. Porter approved of the plan of having 
submerged ends to obtain the requisite flotation and invulnerability^ 
and the Department adopted the design, arid a clcayi drawing 7vas pre- 
pared by Mr. Porter of Lieutenant Brooke's pla?i, which that officer 
then filed with the Department. The steam frigate Merrimac had been 
burned and sunk, and her engine greatly damaged by the enemy, and 
the Department directed Mr. Williamson, Lieutenant Brooke, and 
Mr. Porter to consider and report upon the best mode of making her 
useful. The result of their investigations was their recommendation 
of the submerged ends and the inclined casemates for this vessel, which 
was adopted by the Department. 

"The following is the report upon the Merrimac : 

"'In obedience to your orders we have carefully examined and 
considered the various plans and propositions for constructing a 
shot-proof steam battery, and respectfully report that, in our opinion, 
the steam frigate Merrimac, which is in such condition from the eflfects 
of fire as to be useless for any other purpose without incurring a very 
heavy expense in rebuilding, etc., can be made an efficient vessel of 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 17 

that character, mounting **>!<* heavy guns; and from the 
further consideration that we cannot procure a suitable engine and 
boiler forany other vessel without building them, which would occupy 
too much time, it would appear that this is our only chance to get a 
suitable vessel in a short time. The bottom of the hull, boilers and 
heavy and costly parts of the engine being but little injured, reduce 
the cost of construction to about one-third of the amount which 
would be required to construct such a vessel anew. We cannot, 
without further examination, make an accurate estimate of the cost 

of the proposed work, but think it will be about , the most of 

which will be for labor, the materials being nearly all in the navy-yard, 
except the iron plating to cover the shield. The plan to be adopted 
in the arrangement of the shield for glancing shot, mounting guns, 
arranging the hull, etc., and plating, to be in accordance with the plan 
submitted for the approval of the Department. 

" ' We are, with much respect, your obedient servants, 

'"William P. Williamson, 
" ' Chief Engineer Cojifederate States Navy, 
'" John M. Brooke. 
" * £,ieutefia?zt, Confederate States Navy, 
"'John L. Porter, 

" ' Naval Constructor.'' 

" Immediately upon the adoption of the plan Porter was directed to 
proceed with the constructor's duties. Mr. Williamson was charged 
with the engineer's department, and to Mr. Brooke were assigned the 
duties of attending to and preparing the iron and forwarding it from 
the Tredegar Works, the experiments necessary to test the plates 
and determine their thickness, and devising heavy rifled ordnance 
for the ship, with the details pertaining to ordnance. Mr. Porter 
cnt the ship dow7i, submerged her ends, performed all the duties of 
constructor, and originated all the i?iterior arrangements by which 
space has been economized; and he has exhibited energy, ability and 
ingemiity. Mr. Williamson thoroughly overhauled her engines, sup- 
plied deficiencies and repaired defects, and improved greatly the mo- 
tive power of the vessel. Mr. Brookeattendeddaily to theiron, con- 
structed targets, ascertained by actual tests the resistance offered by 
inclined planes of iron to heavy ordnance, and determined interest- 
ing and important facts in connection therewith, and which were of 
great importance in the construction of the ship; devised and pre- 
pared the models and drawings of the ship's heavy ordnance, being 



18 The Real Projector- of the Virginia. 

guns of a class never before made and of extraordinary power and 
strength. 

" It is deemed inexpedient to state the angle of inclination, the char- 
acter of the plates upon the ship, the manner of preparing them, or 
the number, calibre and weights of the guns; and many novel and 
interesting features of her construction, which were experimentally 
determined, are necessarily omitted. 

" The novel plan of submerging the e7ids of the ship and the eaves of 
the casemate, however, is the peculiar and distinctive feature of the 
Virgifiia. It was never before adopted. The resistance of iron 
plates to heavy ordnance, whether presented in vertical planes or at 
low angles of inclination, had been investigated in England before 
the Virs^inia was commenced, and Major Barnard, U. S. A., had re- 
ferred to the subject in his Sea- Coast Defences. We were without 
accurate data, however, and we were compelled to determine the in- 
clination of the plates and their thickness and form by actual ex- 
periment. 

"The Department has freely consulted the three excellent officers 
referred to throughout the labors on the Virginia^ and they have all 
exhibited signal energy and zeal. 

" I have the honor to be, 
" Very respectfully, 

"Your obedient servant, 

"S. R. Mallory, 
[Italic's mine.] " Secretary of the Navy.'' 



W.L, 




On the nth of April the Examiner published Mr. Porter's reply 
to the Secretary's report. 

"who planned the VIRGINIA? 

" Navy Yard, Gosport, April 8, 1862. 

" To the Editor of the Examiner : 

"Under this caption I find in the Examiner of the 4th instant 
a report of the Secretary of the Navy to Congress, giving a detailed 
statement of the origin of the iron-clad Virgitiia. 



The Heal Frojectot^ of the Virginia. 19 

" I feel sorry to have to reply to this report, inasmuch as it is pub- 
lished over the signature of the Secretary; and my friends will not 
fail to see the embarrassing position it places me in, in consequence 
of mv relations with the Navy Department, and furthermore my 
intercourse with the Secretary since I have held my present position 
in the Southern Confederacy has been of the most friendly kind; but 
justice to myself requires that I should reply to it. 

" The report commences by stating that on the loth of June Lieu- 
tenant Brooke was directed to aid the Department in designing an 
iron-clad war vessel and framing the necessary specifications, and in 
a few days submitted to the Department rough drawings of a case- 
mated vessel with submerged ends and inclined iron-plated sides, the 
ends of the vessel and the eaves of the casemates to be submerged 
two feet. I do not doubt the statements of the Secretary, but no 
such plans were submitted to the board; and from the fact that the 
master-carpenter had returned to this yard without completing any 
plan as the vessel shows, and myself being sent for immediately, and 
from the further fact that the Secretary presented us no plans from this 
source, I stated in my last communication that Lieutenant Brooke failed 
to produce anything after a week's trial; and I am still of that 
opinion, so far as anything tangible is concerned. 

" The report states that the practical mechanic who was brought up 
from Norfolk was unable to make the drawings for Lieutenant 
Brooke, and the Department then ordered Chief- Engineer Williamson 
and Constructor Porter from the navy-yard at Norfolk to Rich- 
mond, about the 23d of June, for consultation on the same subject 
generally, and to aid in the work. I do not understand this part of 
the report exactly; but if it is intended to convey the idea that we 
were to examine any plan of Lieutenant Brooke's, I never so under- 
stood it, neither did we act in accordance with any such idea, as our 
report will show. 

"The report next refers to my model, which I carried up with me, 

the shield and plan of which is carried out on the Virg;inia ; but the 

report seems to have lost sight of the fact that the eaves and ends 

of my model were submerged two feet — precisely like the present 

Virginia. 

" The ship was cut down on a straight line fore and aft, to suit this 
arrangement, and the shield was extended over her just as far as the 
space inside to work the guns would admit of. Where the shield 
stopped, a strong deck was put in to finish out the ends and plated 



20 The Beat Projector of the Virginia. 

over with iron, and a rough breakwater built on it to throw off the 
water forward. The report next states that Mr. Porter approved of 
the plan of submerged ends, and made a clean drawing of Lieutenant 
Brooke's plan, which that officer then filed with the Department. 
How could I disapprove of my own model, which had submerged 
ends two feet? And the only drawing I ever made of the Virginia 
was made in my office at this navy-yard, and which I presented to 
the Department on the nth day of July, just sixteen days after this 
board adjourned, having been ordered to Richmond on other busi- 
ness. This drawing and plan I considered my own, and not Lieu- 
tenant Brooke's. So soon as I presented this plan the Secretary 
wrote the following order, when everything was fresh in his mind 
concerning this whole matter: 

"'Navy Department, Richmond, July ii, 1862. 
" ' Flag- Officer F. Forrest: 

" 'Sir: You will proceed with all practicable despatch to make 
the changes in the form of the Merriviac, and to build, equip and 
fit her in all respects according to the design and plans of the con- 
structor and engineer, Messrs. Porter and Williamson. 

'"S. R. Mallory, 
" ' Secretary Confederate States Navy.^ 

" What, I would ask, could be more explicit than this letter, or 
what words could have established my claims any stronger if I had 
dictated them. The concluding part of this report says : ' The 
novel plan of submerging the ends of the ship and the eaves of the 
casemate, however, is the peculiar and distinctive feature of the Vir- 
ginia.'' This may be all true, but it is just what my model calls for; 
and if Lieutenant Brooke presented rough drawings to the Depart- 
ment carrying out the same views, it may be called a singular coin- 
cidence. And here I would remark that my model was not calculated 
to have much speed, but was intended for harbor defence only, and 
was of light draft, the eaves extending over the entire length of the 
model, and submerged all around two feet^^-sides and ends — and the 
line on which I cut the ship down was just in accordance with this ; 
but if Lieutenant Brooke's ideas, which were submitted to the Sec- 
retary in his rough drawings, had have been carried out, to cut her 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 21 

ends down low enough to build tanks on to regulate the draft of the 
vessel, she would have been cut much lower than my plan required; 
for all the water which now covers her ends would not alter her draft 
over three inches if confined in tanks. All the calculations of the 
weights and displacements, and the line to cut the ship down, were 
determined by myself, as well as her whole arrangements. 

"That Lieutenant Brooke may have been of great assistance to the 
Department in trying the necessary experiments to determine the 
thickness of the iron, getting up the battery, and attending to the 
shipment of the iron, etc., I do not doubt; but to claim for him the 
credit of designing the ship is a matter of too much interest to me 
to give up. 

" Engineer Williamson discharged his duties with great success ; 
the engines performed beyond his most sanguine expectations, and 
these, with the improvements of the propeller, has increased her 
speed three miles an hour. 

" The Confederacy is under many obligations to Secretary Mallory 
for having approved the report of this board^ in making the Merri- 
mac a bomb proof ship. Her performance has changed the whole 
system of naval defences, so far as wooden ships are concerned. 

" Europe, as well as America, will have to begin anew; and that 
nation which can produce iron-clad ships with the greatest rapidity 
will be the mistress of the seas. 

"In this communication I disclaim any disrespect to the Secretary 
of the Navy whatever ; he has not only been my friend, in this Gov- 
ernment, but was a true and Serviceable one under the United States 
Government, and has rendered me many acts of kindness, for which 
I have always esteemed him; but the present unpleasant controversy 
involves a matter of so much importance to me that I shall be ex- 
cused for defending my claim not only as the constructor but the 
originator of the plan of the Virginia. 

"John L. Porter, 
' ' Confederate States Navy Constructor.' ' ' 

"No such plans were submitted to the board." 

" The Secretary presented us no plans from this source." 

Mr. Porter may have supposed that the direction of the Secretary 
to consider and report upon the best mode of making the Merrimac 
useful was equivalent to appointing us members of a board, and as 
the plan had already been submitted, he could say that it had not 



22 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

been presented to the board. Yet Mr. Porter signed the report, 
stating that we had carefully considered various plans. There were 
but two plans presented — mine, illustrated by outline drawings ; and 
Mr. Porter's, illustrated by his model. 

" I stated in my last communication that Lieutenant Brooke failed 
to produce anything after a week's trial; and I am still of that opinion, 
so far as anything tangible is concerned." 

Constructor Porter was at the Norfolk navy-yard, and could have 
no personal knowledge of what occurred in Richmond. His ex- 
pressed opinion is based upon the fact that the master-carpenter had 
returned to the yard without completing any plan, " as the vessel 
shows, and himself being sent for immediately." The expression " as 
the vessel shows," meaning, like the Virginia, implies that the 
master-carpenter had in mind some plan not embracing her novel 
and characteristic feature. He was fully informed as to this feature 
and had been strictly enjoined not to divulge it. 

Constructor Porter seems to have discovered, in this connection, 
the ambiguity of the unqualified phrase, " submerged ends of the 
vessel and eaves of the shield" when he presented his model; for he 
subsequently wrote: "How could I disapprove of my own model, 
which had submerged ends two feet? " And again: " The report seems 
to have lost sight of the fact that the eaves and ends of my model 
were submerged two feet — precisely like the present Virginia! ' 

" If it is intended to convey the idea -that we were to examine any 
plan of Lieutenant Brooke's, I never so understood it; neither did 
we act in accordance with any such idea, as our report will show." 

Neither Mr. Porter nor Mr. Williamson was sent for to examine 
Lieutenant Brooke's plan. 

It had been approved by the Department, but the Secretary pre- 
ferred to send for some other person than Constructor Porter to put 
*it in execution. The one who came from the Norfolk navy-yard 
was a subordinate in the Department of which Constructor Porter 
was the head. 

" The report next refers to my model, which I carried up with me, 
the shield and plan of which is carried out on the Virginia ; but the 
report seems to have lost sight of the fact that the eaves and ends 
of my model were submerged two feet — precisely like the present 
Virghiia. ' ' 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 23 

The plan of Mr. Porter's model could not have been carried 
out on the Merrimac, except by extending the shield to cover 
her ends. 

" The report next states that Mr. Porter approved of the plan of 
submerged ends, and made a clean drawing of Lieutenant Brooke's 
plan, which that officer then filed with the Department." Note the 
reply. " How could I disapprove of my own model which had sub- 
merged ends two feet." Here Mr. Porter does not deny that he 
made a clean drawing of Lieutenant Brooke's plan. He virtually 
admits that he made the drawing, and that it had submerged ends. 
In what sense were the ends of his model submerged when compared 
with the ^,f/^?i^i?^ submerged ends of Lieutenant Brooke's plan? 

" And the only drawing I ever made of the Virginia was made in 
my office in this navy-yard, and which I presented to the Depart- 
ment on the nth day of July. * * * This drawing and plan I 
considered my own, and not Lieutenant Brooke's plan. So soon as 
I presented this plan the Secretary wrote the following order, when 
everything was fresh in his mind concerning the whole matter." 

The "drawing" or "plan" presented by Mr. Porter was simpl)'' 
a working plan, giving, from actual measurement in feet and inches, 
the relative dimensions of the various parts of the structure, in con- 
formity with the design adopted by the Department. The order 
has no reference to the origin of the design. Chief Engineer Wil- 
liamson's plans are embraced in the order. As well might he have 
claimed by this order to be the originator of the design of the 
engines. 

The Secretary says: "Mr. Porter cut the ship down, submerged 
her ends, performed all the duties of constructor, and originated all 
the z>z/^rz£»r arrangements by which space has been economized." 

The Secretary has nowhere said that Mr. Porter originated the 
design or plan applied to the Merrimac. 
The concluding part of this report says: 

" ' The novel plan of submerging the ends of the ship and the 
eaves of the casemate, however, is the peculiar and distinctive 
feature of the Virgiyiia.' This may be all true, but it is just what 
my model calls for.' " 



24 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

The submerged ends of the ship, the Secretary refers to as novel, 
were ends extending beyond the shield under water to obtain speed, 
buoyancy and protection by submergence, 

"And if Lieutenant Brooke presented rough drawings to the 
Department carrying out the same views, it may be called a singular 
coincidence." 

This singular coincidence becomes significant, but less singular, 
when considered in connection with the return of the ship-carpenter 
to the yard, prior to the constrtictioji of Mr. Porter' s fnodel. 

Mr. Porter then describes his model correctly: " Submerged all 
'round two feet — sides and ends" — and then proceeds to say, "and 
the line on which I cut the ship down was just in accordance with 
this." 

But this was the characteristic or novel feature of Lieutenant 
Brooke's plan, which the constructor had been ordered to put in 
execution. Mr. Porter ignores the existence of the original plan, 
and overlooks the fact that the extension of the submerged ends in 
that plan was not made to suit the shield, but to obtain buoyancy, 
speed and protection. It was not necessary to S2ibmerge the ends of 
the vessel in order to submerge the eaves of the shield. 

"But if Lieutenant Brooke's ideas, which were submitted to the 
Secretary in his rough drawings, had been carried out, low enough 
to build tanks on to regulate the draft of the vessel, she would have 
been cut much lower than my plan." 

Constructor Porter knew that the depth of submergence was two 
feet, and that to use the superstructures as tanks to regulate the 
draft was merely incidental; they were to be filled with water at 
fighting draft and emptied, if necessary, to diminish it. 

Extracts from these three letters of Mr. Porter will be found in J. 
Thomas Scharf 's History of the Confederate States Navy, published 
in 1887, pp. 146-151. 

The last in order is the extract from a private letter, given above, 
which, Mr. Scharf says, was published in the Charleston Mercury of 
April 8th, 1862. 

Knowing that this extract, the first publication connecting Mr. 
Porter's name with the Merrimac, had appeared at an earlier date, 
I wrote to Colonel Joseph Yates, whom I had known as one of the 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 25 

gallant defenders of Charleston, and an accomplished artillerist, 
requesting him to ascertain the date of publication. He replied as 
follows: 

"Ten-Mile Mill. S. C, Aicgtist id, 1887. 

" I find that all the files of the Charleston Mercjtry are in the 
Charleston library, and not one paper missing. There is a great 
deal said about the ' Virginia ' and her fights, and I find the letter 
you refer to was published in the Mercury dated March 19th, 1862, 
no date given to the writing of the same. You have an exact copy, 
as quoted to me in your letter of August 3d. * * * 

" Yours truly, 

"Joseph A. Yates." 

The order of date of publication of the three extracts from Mr. 
Porter's letters is reversed in Scharf's history. My note-book, kept 
at that time, contains, under date of March 20th, 1862, this remark: 

" Several papers have published articles from the Norfolk Day- 
Book, giving the credit of the plan of the Merrimac to John L. 
Porter. ' ' 

The extraordinary character of this extract fixed it in my memory 
as the first in which Mr. Porter was brought before the public. It 
attracted attention, and the statement of "Justice" appeared. 

Mr. J. W. H. Porter's "Correct Version of the Converting of the 
Merrimac into an Iron clad " is, in the main, a repetition of what was 
published in 1862, with some variations and additions. Mr. J. W. 
H. Porter says: 

" Lieutenant John M. Brooke, of the navy, was considering the 
question of an iron-clad. He was in a position where he could 
command the ear of Secretary Mallory, of the Confederate Navy, 
and at his request Mr. Joseph Pierce, then master ship-carpenter at 
the navy-yard here and a skilled mechanic, was sent to the Capital to 
assist him, but nothing came of the conference, and he reported that 
Lieutenant Brooke had no matured plan; that he had no practical 
ideas, and did not know what he wanted. Seeing the failure of 
Lieutenant Brooke's scheme. Constructor Porter then had another 
model made like the one he made at Pittsburg in 1847." [Italics 
mine.] 



26 The Heal Projector of the Virginia. 

Mr. Porter is mistaken as to the ship-carpenter. Mr. Joseph 
Pearce (Mr. Porter spells it Pierce) was a constructor competent to 
perform the work, but whose services were not available at that time. 
Mr, J. W. H. Porter's loquacious ship-carpenter had been warned 
not to give information to any one as to the plan which had been 
adopted. On reporting to Constructor Porter he probably thought 
that he fulfilled his instructions in using the language attributed to 
him by Mr. Porter. He gave no information as to the extension of 
the submerged ends of the ship beyond the shield to obtain speed, 
buoyancy and invulnerability, the only novel feature of the plan — 
the peculiar and distinctive feature of the Virginia. 

His position was a trying one, and fully accounts for the extra- 
ordinary statements he is said to have made. Naturally, Constructor 
Porter was much surprised when, on presenting his model, the ap- 
proved plan was laid before him, 

I have every reason to believe the statement, now made for the 
first time, that "seeing," as he thought, "the failure of Lieutenant 
Brooke's scheme, Constructor John L. Porter the7i had a model 
made, took it to Richmond personally, and submitted it to Secretary 
Mallory." 

As to its being like the one he made at Pittsburg in 1847, I can 
but say that the only reference to that model I have seen is in Constructor 
Porter's note of his relations to the conversion of the Merrimac into- 
an iron-clad, in Battles a7id Leaders of the Civil War. 

Mr. Porter says : 

"After she had fought her fight and proved her metal, then for 
the first time, to the knowledge of anybody, Lieutenant Brooke 
put in an appearance as a claimant for the credit of having projected 
her, and a communication appeared in the Richmond Examhier 
claiming it for him." 

I made no claim, nor did I ask any one to make it for me. No 
notice was taken of Mr. Porter's publications by the Secretary or 
myself. I may here recall the fact before mentioned, that in Scharf's 
History of the Confederate States Navy, the true order of date of 
these publications has been reversed. Of the three the last is put 
first, and the first last. 

Mr. J. W. H. Porter continues: 

"And later still, when the real facts of the matter had faded 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 27 

from his memory, Secretary Mallory was, we believe, persuaded to 
give credence to his claim." 

The absurdity of this suggestion must be apparent to any man 
who thinks. Mr. Mallory, who was for many years chairman of the 
Naval Committee of the United States Senate, was in his prime. 
His knowledge of naval matters, including construction, was broad 
and accurate. He was deeply interested; was responsible for the 
adoption of the plan, and would be the last to forget its origin, 

Mr. Porter further says : 

"Mr. Brooke, I believe, took out a patent for an iron-clad with 
slanting roof and submerged ends like the Merriifiac. 

As neither the Secretary nor myself had noticed Constructor 
Porter's published claims, I thought it advisable to bring the subject 
before the examiners of the Patent Office while it was before the 
public. I therefore applied for a patent, and in order that there 
should be no ground for dispute as to the correspondence of my 
specific claim with the original plan, I presented tracings of the 
identical drawing which Constructor Porter made of my plan, as 
stated by the Secretary in his report to the House of Representatives 
of the Confederate States. They were filed May 2, 1862, in the 
Patent Office. 

The drawings accompanying this article are from the patent, 
reduced to one-fifth of the original scale. 

"No. 100. 
"The Confederate States of America. 

" To all to whom these letters patent shall come : 

" Whereas John M. Brooke, of Richmond, Virginia, has alleged 
that he has invented a new and useful improvement in ships of war, 
which he states has not been known or used before his application; 
has made oath that he is a citizen of the Confederate States; that he 
does verily believe that he is the original and first inventor or dis- 
coverer of the said improvement, and that the same hath not, to the 
best of his knowledge and belief, been previously known or used ; 
has paid into the treasury of the Confederate States the sum of forty 
dollars, and presented a petition to the Commissioner of Patents, 



28 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

signifying a desire of obtaining an exclusive property in the said 
improvement, and praying that a patent may be granted for that 
purpose: 

" These are, therefore, to grant according to law to the said John 
M. Brooke, his heirs, administrators or assigns, for the term of four- 
teen years from the 29th day of July, 1862, the full and exclusive 
right and liberty of making, constructing, using, and vending to 
others to be used, the said improvement, a description whereof is 
given in the words of the said Brooke in the schedule hereunto 
annexed, and is made a part of these presents. 

"In testimony whereof, I have caused these letters to be made 
patent, and the seal of the Patent Office has been hereunto affixed. 

" Seal of the Patent Office, ^iven under my hand at the city of 

(Our First President.) Richmond, this 29th day of July, in 

" Confederate States of America. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Lord 1862. 

"(Signed) T. H. Watts, 

' ' Attorney- General. 

" Countersigned and sealed with the seal of the Patent Office. 

" RuFus H. Rhodes, 

" Commissioner of Patents." 

Specifications annexed to Patent No. 100, granted to John M. 
Brooke, July 29, 1862: 

' ' To all whom it vtay concern : 

" Be it known that I, John M. Brooke, a lieutenant in the Navy 
of the Confederate States, have invented a new and improved form 
of vessel, to be iron-clad, and if desired (armed) with cannon; and 
I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description 
thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part 
of this specification in which Figure I is a deck plan; Figure II a 
sheer plan, and Figure III a body plan. 

" The nature of my invention consists in so constructing the hull 
of the vessel that her bow and stern A and B, Figures I and II, 
shall each extend beyond the forward and after ends of the shield C, 
which protects crew and guns, sufficiently to give the sharpness 
necessary to the attainment of high speed, and the buoyancy to sup- 
port the weight of iron covering the shield and sides of the vessel 



The Real Projector of the Virginia. 29 

without increase of draft. Being submerged, all that part of the 
hull not covered by the shield is protected by the water from the 
projectiles of an enemy. The shield proposed for such improved 
form of vessel is of wood, covered on the exterior with iron, the 
surface inclined at such an angle as will permit the guns to be worked 
in the usual manner and yet deflect projectiles impinging upon it. 
This angle will be between 40° and 50°. The eaves of the shield 
may be about two feet under water. To divide and prevent the 
water over the submerged part of the vessel from banking up at the 
forward or after ends of the shield in going ahead or astern, thereby 
retarding her progress and perhaps preventing the use of the bow or 
stern gun, a false bow and stern or tanks are constructed upon the 
submerged portion of the vessel corresponding more or less in form 
with the hull below. The false bow and stern may be decked, in 
which case they should not be so high above water as to interfere 
with firing of the bow and stern guns. These tanks may be used as 
reservoirs of water by which the draft of the vessel may be regulated 
at will. The stem, being submerged, may be fitted as a ram to strike 
the wooden bottoms of iron-clad vessels. This plan of construction 
is applicable in plating effectually ships built in the usual manner ; 
it being simply necessary to remove the upper works and to cut them 
down forward and abaft the shield sufficiently to submerge the ends 
when down to the load-line, as illustrated in the case of the Confed- 
erate States steamer Virgmia, which vessel was constructed in 
accordance with the plan herein set forth, furnished by me on the 
23rd day of June, 1861, to the Honorable S. R. Mallory, Secretary 
of the Navy, to William P. Williamson, Chief-Engineer Confederate 
States Navy, and John L. Porter, Constructor Confederate States 
Navy, the two latter having been directed by the Honorable Secre- 
tary of the Navy, in conjunction with myself, to devise an iron-clad 
vessel. And this plan was applied to the Merrimac in preference to 
constructing a new vessel of eight or ten feet draft, in consequence 
of the impossibility of procuring in time boilers and engines suitable 
to the purpose. The boilers of the Merritnac were good, and as the 
chief-engineer was of opinion that the engines could be speedily 
repaired, it was considered expedient to apply the plan to her. 

"Claim. 

"What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by letters 
patent, consists in so constructing the hull of a vessel that her bow 



30 



The Real Fo^ojector of the Virgiiiia. 



and stern shall each extend under water beyond the forward and 
after ends of the shield C, which protects the crew and guns, 
sufficiently to give the sharpness necessary to the attainment of high 
speed and the buoyancy to support the weight of iron applied with- 
out an inconvenient increase of draft. 



"John M. Brooke, 
" Lie2itenant C. S. Navy. 



" Witness: 



" George Minor, 

" Commander, C. S. N. 

" Charles J. Ost." 



B 




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Mr. Porter continues: 

" But his patent was not contested by the builder of the Merrimac, 
because no one would have thought of building such a vessel with 
submerged ends except as a matter of necessity, for it left the crew 
no space to exercise." 

One might suppose that Constructor Porter, as deeply concerned 
as he was in maintaining his claim, would have welcomed the oppor- 
tunity to establish it. 



The Real Projector' of the Virginia. 31 

" And no other vessel was built that way by the Confederate 
States. Subsequent vessels were made after the model which Con- 
structor Porter made at Pittsburg in 1847, with the ends above the 
water and protected like the roof." 

But the model made after the return of the ship-carpenter to the 
yard, like the one he made at Pittsburg, had its ends under the roof 
and submerged "just two feet," and no vessels were ever built after 
//la/ model in the Confederate States. 

When the Merrimac, after conversion, was floated, it was found 
that in consequence of an error in her computed displacement her 
ends and eaves could not be submerged to the depth proposed. 
This was a serious matter, as the additional weights required to bring 
her down involved an otherwise unnecessary increase of draft. 

Constructor Porter says in his Cenhiry note: 

" Her deck ends were two feet below water and not awash, and 
the ship was as strong and well protected at the centre line as any- 
where else,' as her knuckle was two feet below her water-line, and 
was then clamped." 

The following letters state the facts: 

[extract.] 

" ' Virginia,' Norfolk Yard, March 5, '62. 

" Dear Brooke: 

" * * * I hope we will get off on Thursday night. The 
ship will be too light, or, I should say, she is not sufficiently protected 
below the water. Our draft will be a foot less than was first in- 
tended, yet I was this morning ordered not to put any more ballast 
in — fear of the bottom. The eaves of the roof will not be more 
than six inches immersed, which in smooth water would not be 
enough; a slight ripple would leave it bare except the one^inch iron 
that extends some feet below. We are least protected where we 
most need it, and may receive a shot that would sink us; a thirty- 
two-pounder would do it. The constructor should have put on six 
inches where we now have one. 

" We have taken on board a large quantity of ballast. 

" Catesby ap. R. Jones." 



32 The Real Projector of the Virginia. 

[extract.] 

" Confederate States Steamer Virginia, 
" Norfolk, March 7, 1862. 
"My Dear Brooke: 

<<* ^ * yj^g edges of our plates are only five inches below 
the water. * * =f 

"R. D. Minor." 

As the vessel lightened, this submergence diminished. Five inches 
is little more than awash, and it was evident after the action that the 
guns of the enemy, having no command, could not penetrate the 
horizontal deck plating of the ends. It was, therefore, not necessary 
to submerge the ends, provided the sides were properly protected by 
plating. But as the weight of guns and shields increased, the effi- 
ciency of the principle of submerged ends became apparent. 

The means at command in the Confederacy were not adequate to 
the complete development of the principle in sea-going ships. Plates 
of sufficient thickness to afford protection when placed vertically 
could not be made; but in 1874 it was applied in England. 

The following description of the Inflexible is from Chief-Engineer 
J. W. King's War Ships and Navies of the World. 

" The Inflexible, which was commenced at Portsmouth dock-yard 
in February, 1874, and launched April, 1876, is a twin-screw, double- 
turret ship, with a central armored citadel. She was designed by 
Mr. Barnaby, the Director of Naval Construction at the Admiralty, 
and at a meeting of the Institution of Naval Architects in London, 
he describes the vessel in the following language: 

"Imagine a floating castle no feet long and 75 feet wide, rising 10 
feet out of water, and having above that again two round turrets 
planted diagonally at its opposite corners. Imagine this castle and 
its turrets to be heavily plated with armor, and that each turret has 
two guns of about eighty tons each. Conceive these guns to be 
capable of firing, all four together, at an enemy ahead, astern, or on 
either beam, and in pairs toward every point of the compass. At- 
tached to this rectangular armored castle, but completely stibmerged — 
every part being 6 to 7 feet under water — there is a hull of ordinary 
form with a poiverful ram bozv, with twin-screws and a submerged 
rudder and helm. This compound structure is the fighting part of 
the ship. Seaworthiness, speed, and shapeliness would be wanting in 



T he Real Projector of the Virginia. 33 

such a structure if it had no addition to it; there is, therefore, an 
unarmored structure lying above the submerged ship and connected 
with it, both before and after the armored castle, and as this structure 
rises 20 feet out of water, from stem to stern, without depriving the 
guns of that command of the horizon already described, and as it 
moreover renders a flying deck unneccessary, it gets over the objec- 
tions which have been raised against the low free board and other 
features in the Devastation, Thunderer and Dreadnaiight. These 
structures furnish also most luxurious accommodations for officers 
and seamen. The stet> in advance has therefore been from 14 inches 
of armor to 24 inches, from 35 ton guns to 80 tons, from two guns 
ahead to four guns ahead, and from a height of 10 feet for working 
the anchors to 20 feet. And this is done without an increase in cost, 
and with a reduction of nearly 3 feet in draught of water. My belief 
is that in the Inflexible we have reached the extreme limit in thick- 
ness of armor for sea-going vessels. 

" The length of the vessel between perpendiculars is 320 feet, and 
she has the extraordinary breadth of 75 feet at the water-line; depth 
of hold, 23 feet 3} inches; freeboard, 10 feet; mean draught of 
water, 24 feet 5 inches (23 feet 5 inches forward and 25 feet 5 inches 
aft); area of midship section, 1,658 square feet; and displacement, 
when all the weights are on board, 11,407 tons, being the largest 
man-of-war hitherto constructed. She is, as before described, a 
rectangular armoured castle. The whole of the other parts of the 
vessel which are unprotected by armour have been given their great 
dimensions for the simple purpose of floating and moving this invul- 
nerable citadel and the turrets by which it is surmounted. 

" Her immense bulk, unprecedented armament, powerful machinery 
and the provision for ramming and for resisting the impact of rams 
as well as of shot and shell, have made it necessary that strength 
and solidity should enter into every part of the structure. 

" The Inflexible having been accepted as one of the types of the 
British future Hne-of battle ships, two others have been put in pro- 
cess of construction — the Ajax, which was laid down at the Pem- 
broke dock yard in 1876; and the Agamemnon, commenced at the 
Chatham in the same year, and launched in 1879. After so full an 
account of the Iiflexible, any detailed description of these two sister 
ships would be a mere repetition." 

" The Colossus and the Majestic * * * two steel sister ships, 
3 



34 The Beat Projector of the Virginia. 

are of the same type as the vessels just described, and of dimen- 
sions between the hifiexible and the Ajax." 

In Constructor Porter's reply to "Justice," he says: 

"Of the great and skillful calculations of the displacements and 
weights of timber and iron involved in the planning and construction 
of this great piece of naval architecture, and of her present weights 
with everything on board, no other man than myself has, or ever 
had, any knowledge. If he has let him show it; for while public 
opinion said she would never float, no one save myself knew to the 
contrary or what she was capable of bearing." 

The time came when this knowledge would have been of service 
to the Confederacy. 

Norfolk had fallen, and the brave Tattnall sought to save the Vir- 
ginia by taking her up the James — success depending upon her 
stability when lightened to a draft of eighteen feet. He applied to 
Constructor Porter for information. 

In Flagofificer Tattnall's triumphant defence will be found this 
statement [see Scharf s Confederate States Navy, p. 235]: 

"To the constructor, Mr. Porter, I applied through Paymaster 
Semple, for information on the subject, who swears positively that he 
obtained the constructor's written report that the ship could be 
lightened to even seventeen feet, and would have stability to that 
draft in the James river. Now, whether ?vlr. Semple misunderstood 
Mr. Porter or not, there can be no doubt of the nature of the reply 
communicated to me through a reliable source, upon which, in the 
nature of things, having no knowledge of my own, I was obliged to 
rely. Nor will the positive and reliable testimony thus given be 
much shaken by Mr. Porter's flippant answer to the question why he 
he did not give full information, " that I never spent a thought on 
the subject; I was busy; 1 supposed the officers all knew what they 
were about., and I gave all the information that was asked of me." 
It will be recollected he was apprised of the meditated disposition of 
the ship, and had been asked for written official information on the 
subject. 

I regret that the persistency of Constructor Porter and the indis- 
cretion of his friends have rendered it necessary to make this expo- 
sition. 

John M. Brooke. 



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